Invalid-lifter



(No Model.) J. H. MURDOGK.

INVALID LIFTER. Elm 402,180. Patented Apr.v 30, 1889 & g w

N. rcrens. Pam-m mmy, Washlngtml. lay a UNITED STAT S] PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. MURDOCK, OF WOODSTOCK, VERMONT.

INVALID-LIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,180, dated April 30, 1889. Application filed September 29, 1888. serial No. 286,768. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. MURDOCK, of WVoodstock, in the county of 'Windsor, State of Vermont, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Invalid Lifters, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which the figure is a perspective view representing my apparatus in use, a portion of the cabinet being shown as broken away.

My invention relates especially to apparatus for lifting and supporting invalids from the beds while changing the bedclothing, &c.; and it consists incert-ain novel features, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being toproduce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawing,A represents the hammock, and B the cabinet. g r

The cabinet B consists of a vertically-arranged rectangular box disposed against the partition of the room, preferably opposite the foot of the bed D. A pulley, w,'is journaled centrally in the top of the cabinet on a transversely-arranged rod, .2. In the lower portion of the cabinet, andat a convenient height from the floor, is journaled a shaft, f, carrying a drum, '0, said shaft being provided at one end outside said cabinet with a crank, 12,

and ratchet-wheel d. A retaining-pawl, mas? pivoted to the side of the cabinet in position to engage the teet-hof said ratchet.

The hammock A is composed of canvas or similar material sufficiently strong to sup port the weight of a person. Ropes g are secured to adjacent corners of the hammock by means of hooks t passing through eyes formed in said hammock to receive them, the opposite ends ofsaid ropes being provided with loops adapted to receive hooks h, secured in the partition of the room opposite the cabinet and preferably disposed about four feet apart. Ropes L j are knotted together at 70,

and have their free ends provided with hooks t. The hooks t of the ropes j are inserted in eyes formed in the corners of the foot of the hammock, and the hooks of the ropes t' in similar eyes formed in the edges of said hammock at a suitable distance from the foot to sustain it in a horizontal position when in use. A rope, p, is secured by one end to the knot 7c and passes into the top of the cabinet over the pulley as, and thence downward onto the drum c, to which itis secured.

In the use of inyimprovement the hammock is disconnected from the ropes g 1 j and placed under the patient, it preferably being disposed below the under sheet of the bed and designed to remain there permanently. The bed being placed in a direct line between the hooks h and cabinet B, when it is desired to raise the patient, the hooks t of the ropes g ij are inserted in the proper eyes of the hammock and the crank I) turned, thereby winding the rope 19 onto the drum 1; and steadily raising the hammock. to any required height, the pawl m sustaining it in position in a manner that willi be readily understood by all conversant with such matters without a more explicit description. The bed can be readily moved from under the hammock for the purpose of airing the same or changing the clothing. By disconnecting the hooks t of the ropes j from their eyes at the foot of the hammock thefeet of the patient may be allowed to drop, the leg bending at the knee, when, by lowering the hammock by means of the crank 17, the patient may be easily deposited in achair placed to receiv e him. V

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination, with a hammock provided with a set of eyes at its head end, of a setof eyes at its foot end, and an intermediate set of eyes at its opposite edges disposed about a chair height distance from the foot end, supporting-ropes engaging the eyes at the head end, four supporting-ropes united at their outer ends, one pair thereof being connected at their inner ends with said intermediate eyes and the other pair being detachably connected attheir inner ends with the foot-eyes, a winding-rope connected to the connect the head of said hammock with the hooks h, the foot-ropes i j, provided with hooks t, and knotted at k, and the rope 1"), connecting said foot-ropes with the drum 4), all r 5 being arranged to operate substantially as specified.

JAMES H. MURDOCK.

lVit-nesses:

J. R. MURDOOK, v W. D. HEATH. 

